Keith's Tiny Adventure
by TealPaladin
Summary: After having his mind infiltrated by Haggar, Keith wakes up to find he's been reduced to a mere inch in height! Will he find a way to get help? Rated T for minor suggestive themes and innuendo.
1. Chapter 1

Keith couldn't sleep, which both annoyed and confused him. Sure, he always had a lot on his mind, but spending virtually all of his free time training usually left him exhausted enough to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. So why couldn't he fall asleep? His thoughts weren't drifting, and he didn't feel the least bit tired. As he lay there, he also became aware of a dull pain in the back of his head. He grunted and turned over, pulling his blanket tightly over him. "Go to sleep," he said out loud, after saying it in his head over and over. "Just close your eyes, relax, and go to sleep." Trying to get more comfortable, he tossed the blanket off, but now, he was too cold. He grumbled and reached for the blanket, grasping blindly in the dark as his hands fumbled over his sheets. Only, they didn't feel like his sheets anymore. The bed felt hard and wet. Grunting, he opened his eyes...and bolted upright.

His bed was gone, along with the entire room. He didn't know where he was, but it seemed like an endless landscape. The ground he lay on was a pale gray surface, marked with curved and lines. Above him stretched a spiraling violet sky, unmarked by stars. He stood up, spinning around, looking for signs of anything else in this dismal void besides himself. But it seemed he was utterly alone.

"What's going on?" he called out, trying desperately not to panic. "Where am I? Did something happen to the ship?"

In the silence of this place, he heard a soft, yet terrifying voice reply. "Such a strong spirit, but such a weak mind…."

Keith spun around, trying to trace the source of the voice, but it seemed to echo from all around him. "Who's there?" he demanded, reaching for his bayard, only to find he didn't have it. He kept spinning around, hoping to find whoever was speaking to him.

"So easy to touch...so easy to break." The voice had a source now. Keith spun on the spot and found himself staring at a cloaked figure. A hood concealed much of its face, but as it looked up at him, he could see long white hair, grayish-purple skin, and glowing yellow eyes.

"You!" he cried, taking a step back. "You're that Galra witch, aren't you?"

The figure approached him, and though he knew he should run, he also knew he had nowhere to go. "You understand how foolish it is to flee from me," breathed Haggar, her voice rugged and cracking. "There can be no escape."

Keith tensed. "Okay, then I'll fight you with my bare hands!" He lowered himself, raising his fists up before charging at her, only to have her disappear into a cloud of smoke. He spun around again to find her standing where he was just a second ago. "Where are we?" he demanded from her. "Where have you taken me?"

Haggar let out a slow, guttural laugh. "We haven't gone anywhere, Paladin. Or should I say, you haven't gone anywhere. We're in a place only you have ever known, until now, that is."

Keith lowered his hands, staring at her as he worked it out. "We...this is all in my head," he said, realizing. "You're in my head!"

Haggar smiled. "Perhaps your mind is not so weak after all. But no matter, I've sealed the bond. It is already done. My magic shall transform you, so that even your friends will become your enemies. You will know true fear, once you are totally powerless, and at the mercy of the world around you."

Keith grit his teeth. "What the heck are you talking about, witch? Stop with the games!" But Haggar withdrew, laughing softly, and the world around him seemed to shift and turn. The next thing he was aware of, he was falling into darkness, screaming and flailing for anything to grab onto.

He landed on a soft surface, feeling it give slightly under him. He seemed to be somewhere else entirely. The ground beneath him was the same color as his sheets, only it stretched out into a wide plain, with many hills and ravines. Above him, a gray expanse. The ground felt warm, and seemed to me made of small ropes interwoven together. He narrowed his eyes. Curious, he turned towards a lighter part of the field of ropes, seeing what looked like a break in the gray expanse, opening up into something else. He walked along a large hill that stretched out on his right, half-expecting to see Haggar emerge from behind it. Eventually, he came to the end of the expanse above him and stepped out, looking above it.

His jaw dropped. Balling his hands into fists, he shook his head and backed up, staring at what rose above him. "No, no! This can't be happening! This—this is all just some crazy dream!" Rising over him, like another sky, was a mottled ceiling, the ceiling of his bedroom. The field he walked through was his sheets, and the gray fabric that stretched above that was his blanket. Behind him, his pillow rose like a mountain. He breathed heavily, frantically looking around, noticing how every feature in his room was now absolutely enormous. He compared himself to a glass sitting on the nightstand, and guessed that he was now approximately one inch tall.

"Okay, don't panic, don't panic," he told himself, taking deep, slow breaths. "I'm...tiny. I'm really, really tiny. That witch must have shrunk me. Oh man, how am I going to get out of bed?" He ran over to the edge and looked down, immediately reeling back. It was a long way, like looking off the roof of a skyscraper. A fall from this height would splatter him. "Okay, I clearly can't just jump off. But I can't climb, unless…." He turned to see that, after he threw his blanket off of him, a corner of it dangled off the side of his bed, all the way down to the floor. "That will do!" He ran along the side of his bed, until he reached the blanket, jumping onto its surface. It had less give than his sheets, and the threads were much thicker, which Keith was grateful for. It would make climbing down much easier. Still, as he approached the edge again, he felt a pang of unease. "Okay, okay, you can do this." Grabbing onto each of the threads, he placed his boots against the rough surface and began his slow descent, trying not to look down at the floor. It was a slow, arduous climb, but eventually, Keith reached the smooth, tile floor and stepped off onto it, proud of his achievement.

The feeling of pride didn't last long. Staring up at his room from down on the floor reminded him of just how small he was. A chair in the corner was bigger than the entire castle. He felt like a puny bug. He gulped, walking away from his bed across the vast tile floor towards the door. Looking up at it, rising above him like a great monolith, Keith became aware of a second problem: How was he going to open it? It was airtight, so even at his size, he couldn't squeeze under it or through it. The panel was mounted to the wall, far out of his reach. He kept walking up to it, trying to puzzle it out. There had to be some way….

Suddenly, as if responding to his wishes, the door slid open. Keith was initially surprised and relieved, until he saw why. Standing on the other side of the door, towering over him, was Lance. Keith tilted his head back, staring up at him in awe. The Blue Paladin was the size of a Galra ship, maybe even bigger. He stumbled back, terrified, but desperate for help. "L-Lance!" he called, waving his arms frantically. "Lance, buddy, down here! Look down, can you hear me? Lance!"

Lance stepped in, looking around. He knew Keith liked to wake up early, but he didn't know he'd already be training this early in the morning. Then again, Keith was always a tryhard. "Already up Keith?" he asked, looking round the room. He walked towards the bed, seeing his bayard still sitting on his nightstand. "Weird, Keith wouldn't go anywhere without this." He picked it up, shrugged, and walked out of the room with it. "Whatever, I'll give it to him when I find him. With that, he left the room, letting the door slide shut behind him.

Keith was trembling, partly out of fear, and party due to the powerful tremors of Lance's footsteps as he walked in. The ground shook violently, and Keith found it hard to stand up. "LANCE, STOP! DON'T COME CLOSER!" But above the sound of the footsteps, Keith could barely hear his own voice. He staggered back, trying to run, but fell flat on his face as another footstep knocked him off balance. Groaning, he pulled himself back up, noticing a shadow being cast over him. He turned around, gazing upward to see the patterned rubber tread of Lance's sneaker above him, quickly falling closer. "LANCE NO!" he cried, stumbling as he ran. He could hear the whooshing of the appendage above him as everything grew darker. He dared not look up, only ahead at where the shadow ended. Desperate, he leaped forward, stretching himself out, hoping he'd make it in time. He tucked and rolled across the floor just as a blue and white sneaker the size of a two-story house crashed down beside him. He was terrified, but knew he had to act quickly. Lance had stopped, and there was only one way to get out of the room. He turned back to the sneaker behind him and, taking a few steps back, charged at it, aiming for the loose shoelace that dangled on the side. He jumped, reaching out for it, and grabbed on, slipping just a little but managing to brace himself against the side of the shoe. His hands had sustained a bit of rope burn, but he at least managed to get off the floor. Quickly, he pulled himself up onto the shoe, collapsing onto the laces, totally exhausted. He looked up to see that Lance had taken his bayard, and grit his teeth. "Hey, don't touch that! Put it back!" But of course, Lance couldn't hear him. He turned and walked, and Keith found he had to grab on tight to avoid falling off. Lance left the room, and Keith struggled to hold on, but it was no use. The rising, turning, and falling was making him dizzy, and he soon tumbled off onto the floor while Lance walked off, oblivious to what just happened.

Keith laid there for a moment, trying to process it all. A part of him still wanted to believe that this was all just a crazy dream. But the aching in his bones reminded him that it was all too real. He grunted in pain as he stood up, searching around him. He was out of the room, at least, but he was right in the middle of the hall. If Lance was up, then the others might be waking up soon too, and he didn't want to get caught in a stampede. He quickly made his way to the side of the hall, pressing his back to the wall. He tried to figure out what to do next. If he avoided the other Paladins, he wouldn't get crushed...but how would he get around? How would he eat, or pretty much do anything? On foot, it would take him hours...days to cross the castle. Each room was like a massive city on its own, even this small hallway seemed to stretch on endlessly. The grim reality of his situation had set in, and the Witch's voice echoed in his head. "Totally powerless...at the mercy of the world around me…." Keith swallowed hard, then shook his head. "Ugh, no! I'm not powerless! I can do this! I just need to find a way to—"

He heard a door open behind him, and the familiar booming tremors of footsteps, only these were different. He turned, and gasped, staring up in awe. Shiro was even more massive than Lance, his head almost out of view. Keith had to crane his had all the way back to see it. "Sh-shiro!" he cried out, but knew it was no use. If Lance couldn't hear him, Shiro couldn't either. He braced himself against the wall, anticipating the Black Paladin's huge boots. But as Shiro approached, he suddenly stopped beside Keith, looking around him. "C-can he hear me? Shiro? SHIRO!"

Shiro turned around. "Hey Keith, Lance, you guys up yet? Pidge? Hunk?" His voice was deafeningly loud. Keith had to cover his ears. He knew he didn't want to stay here in the hall, but he knew it would take forever to get anywhere else. Unless…. He turned his attention to Shiro's boot, directly in front of him. It was his only shot of getting off the floor and out of the hallway. Bracing himself again, he made a mad dash towards the boot and leaped at it, grabbing onto the edge as tightly as possible, just as Shiro resumed walking. But Keith wasn't going to let go this time. He held on for dear life, even trying to scale the boot, getting dizzy from the constant shifting, pounding, and shaking. He made his was on top of it, holding on tightly. He didn't know where Shiro was going; the whole room around him seemed to be a blur. Only when the foot rested was he able to get a quick look at his surroundings. He must be headed for the dining room. Shiro stopped again for a moment, and Keith found himself in front of another enormous door. Shiro opened it, continuing down another hall. Keith just hoped that this crazy ride would be over soon. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

After what seemed like an eternity, Shiro finally entered the dining room, where Lance, Coran, and Allura were already waiting. Keith felt like he'd been hanging off of the wing of an airplane, clinging tightly to the boot, though his hands were going numb. Shiro took a seat in the middle, as he usually did, and the horrible ride seemed to be over, at least, for the time being. Keith took a moment to recuperate, figuring out where he was exactly. Under the table, he could see everyone's feet and legs, but could only see Lance, Coran, and Allura. Hunk and Pidge must not be up yet. Regardless, now was a perfect opportunity to try and get their attention. If he could just climb up to Shiro's knee, he could walk all the way along his waist, where hopefully he would be within earshot. But as he approached Shiro's leg, he realized that the tight, form-fitting black fabric would not be easy to scale. He was already tired from the long ride, and wasn't sure he had the energy to climb. Still, it was no or never. Once Shiro was done, he'd be off to the training room, and Keith would certainly fall off on the way there. Rubbing his hands together, he approached the front of Shiro's leg and gripped it tight. His fingers were able to grab hold of the strong threads, but it would be hard to get decent footing. He would have to rely solely on his dexterity and upper body strength to scale up to his knee. With a grunt, he heaved himself up, trying not to focus on the burning pain in his muscles. It didn't seem that far up, he thought. If he just focused on the goal and nothing else, he'd make it. Keeping his eyes on Shiro's knee, he continued climbing, right up along the shin. As he scaled, he could also hear their voices far above him.

"Surprised Hunk and Keith aren't here yet," Shiro commented after swallowing a glob of green goo. "They're usually the first to breakfast."

"Well, knowing Keith, he's likely down in the training room," said Allura.

"Uh, unless he's seriously slacking off, I doubt that," said Lance, producing the red bayard. Shiro turned and glared at him.

"Why did you take that from Keith?" he demanded, trying to grab it away from him. "He needs his bayard at all times.

Lance looked quite smug. "Because, he left his room without it."

"What?!" Allura stood up, staring hard at Lance. "A Paladin would never go anywhere without their bayard. It's crucial to be able to defend yourself at all times. Keith may be hot-headed at times, but he would never make such a grave mistake."

Lance smiled, happy that Keith was the one making the stupid decisions for a change. "Well, he did." He set the bayard down on the table. "And I don't think he went to the training room without anything to train with."

Coran turned to Allura. "Well, it's certainly possible that he just went up to his Lion and forgot his bayard, or figured he wouldn't need it."

The door behind them opened, and Pidge and Hunk emerged, joining the rest of the Paladins. "Good morning!" said Pidge, smiling at them. Hunk, on the other hand, seemed to still be half-asleep.

"Mmm, good morning..." he mumbled, taking his seat at the far end.

"Any of you seen Keith?" asked Shiro, starting to get a little concerned. "He seems to be MIA, and he left his bayard in his room."

Pidge blinked. "That doesn't seem like Keith, he'd never leave his bayard behind."

"Oh, so now Keith's a perfect Paladin who's not allowed to make mistakes?" said Lance, grumbling to himself.

"Lance, just because you left your bayard behind on two separate missions doesn't mean the rest of us are so forgetful. Anyway, if Keith is missing, there's an easy way to track him down." She reached into her pocket and produced a rectangular device. "I modified my scanner to monitor all activity in the ship in case we get some stowaways or hijackers. I also set it to track each of our individual bio-signatures. I...don't like to use it, so everyone can have their privacy, but since Keith is really missing, it might be necessary to…." She trailed off. "Well, this isn't right at all."

Shiro leaned in. "What is it?"

Pidge set the scanner on the table so that everyone could see. "It clearly show's Keith's bio-signature right on top of Shiro's. That doesn't make any sense."

The Paladins leaned in, seeing a red dot bleeping right where Shiro was sitting. "That's really weird," said Hunk. "What if, like, Keith somehow got absorbed into Shiro, or turned into a ghost and is possessing his body?!" He whimpered softly to himself as he sat back down.

Pidge looked annoyed. "First of all, Hunk, there's no such thing as ghosts. Second, it's probably just a glitch. I don't like to admit it, but maybe I messed up with the tracker somehow." She turned it off and started fiddling with it. Shiro, on the other hand, stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Allura asked. "You hardly touched your food!"

"I'm going to go look for Keith," he said plainly. "He couldn't have gone far." With that, he walked out of the room.

Listening to their conversation drove Keith crazy. He wanted to interject after every word they said, letting them know what was going on, but their voices were so loud, and his was so tiny. There was no way they would hear him. He continued to scale Shiro's leg, irritated by Lance's comment about everyone holding him to a higher standard. After what seemed like forever, he finally crested the massive knee of Shiro's right leg. He laid once again on the soft surface of the fabric, panting and heaving, trying to catch his breath and recover. He didn't think he could climb anymore. His fingers were numb and raw, and his arms felt like they were going to fall off. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he slowly stood up and started hurrying along Shiro's thigh, towards his belt that gave way to the massive, rugged cliff that was Shiro's torso. He saw the left leg on his right, and the gap between them tapered towards Shiro's crotch. Keith noted, with some embarrassment, that there was a slight bulge protruding from the fabric. He tried not to look at it, focusing instead on what was directly ahead of him. If he stood on Shiro's lap, he might be seen, or heard. But if Shiro stood up...he'd be in serious trouble. Hurrying over to the belt, until the fabric curved up and he could run no further, Keith began jumping and yelling frantically. "SHIRO! DOWN HERE! I'M IN YOUR LAP! SHIRO, LOOK DOWN!" He soon realized a huge problem. Shiro's pecs were literally so massive, the eclipsed his view of Shiro's face, which means Shiro wouldn't even see him if he looked down. He backed up a bit, until he could see his face without being under the table. "SHIRO! LOOK DOWN, PLEASE! IT'S ME, KEITH!" He tried jumping up and down on his leg, anything to get his attention, but nothing seemed to work. He collapsed on the thigh, tired and despondent. "This is impossible, he'll never hear me."

Suddenly, the ground beneath him shifted. Keith realized, with horror, that Shiro was standing up. "No, NO!" He grabbed on as tightly as he could, holding on to Shiro's pants for dear life. The Paladin announced that he was going to look for Keith, then turned and started walking. Each step sent a mighty tremor through the leg, forcing Keith to grip tightly...but he couldn't hold on for much longer. His arms and hands were already tired, and each footstep threatened to shake him off. It was a long way down...and there was no way he could survive the fall. "Shiro...please..." he whispered hoarsely, struggling to maintain his grip. "Please notice me Shiro...I'm going to fall…."

This was it. He was going to fall to the ground, break his neck on impact. There would be no finding him then. To the rest of the Paladins, Keith may as well have just disappeared. There would be no one left to pilot the Red Lion, which means there would be no way to form Voltron, and therefore, no way to stop Zarkon. He closed his eyes tight. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Just a quick snap, and then nothing. His arms already hurt so bad, he just wanted it to end.

Then he thought of Shiro, and what might happen if his body was discovered. Would Shiro realize? Would he know that he struggled to get his attention? Would...would he blame himself? He imagined Shiro silent, stricken with guilt, unable to forgive himself for letting him die. He couldn't let that happen. He could live with the universe being conquered by Zarkon, but not with Shiro blaming himself for it. With renewed vigor and determination, he scaled along the side of Shiro's leg, turning towards his hand that swung by as he walked. If he could just jump...but it would have to be perfectly timed. He only had one shot at this. Positioning himself at Shiro's hip, he turned and watched the hand as it swung, measuring the time in his head, waiting for the perfect opportunity to leap. He counted himself off. "One...Two...Three!" With an empowering yell, he jumped off, flying through the air, but falling faster than he anticipated. "No!" He reached out, certain that he miscalculated, and would hit the floor. But his arms found purchase on Shiro's index finger, which he clung to for dear life, wrapping his legs around it for extra support.

"What the—?" Shiro jerked his hand up, shocked by the sudden movement on his hand. He thought it might have been a bug that go on the ship, or even one of the mice, but as he lifted his hand to his face, he saw something quite unusual. It didn't look like a bug at all. In fact, it looked almost like….

"K-keith?" Shiro breathed, unable to believe his eyes. It was Keith alright, but he was no bigger than an inch tall. "Is that...really you? Oh my gosh, you're so small, how did—?" he paused again. "Wait, are you okay? How did this happen? What's going on?"

It was far too much at once. Keith, able to lay in Shiro's hand, said nothing, only panted as he could finally relax, though he was sure he would have to put at least one arm in a sling after that stunt. How would he even get a sling that small though? Slowly, he began to laugh, both out of relief and at the absurdity of his situation.

"Keith…?"

Slowly, the Red Paladin sat up. "I-I'm okay!" he called up to Shiro, trying to wave his arms, but only managing to give a haphazard signal. It was incredible how huge Shiro's face was at this size, like a massive, handsome billboard. He found himself being brought even closer, probably because Shiro had a hard time hearing him.

"What happened to you? You're so tiny, did something go wrong with the ship again?" Shiro's voice boomed over Keith, and he had to cover his ears.

"Dude, could you talk a little quieter? It's like a megaphone!"

Shiro bit his lip. "Oh, s-sorry," he whispered.

Sighing, Keith began to explain. "I couldn't sleep all last night, and when I tried to, I found myself face-to-face with that Galra witch. She had somehow gotten into my head. She said...she said I had a weak mind, and that she would transform me to make me vulnerable...like this."

Shiro hung onto every word, though he had to strain a little to hear it. "Haggar did this to you? But how?"

Keith shrugged. I don't know. Shiro...I'm tired. I want to know just as much as you do, but I haven't eaten or slept, my arms feel like they're atrophied, and I almost died trying to reach you."

Shiro gasped. "D-did I hurt you?" he asked, concerned. "Did I almost—?"

"N-no!" Keith lied, shaking his head. He regretted even mentioning it now. "No, you didn't do anything, promise. It...it was all Lance."

Shiro smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're safe at least. What are we going to do with you though?" He turned back to the dining room. "How will the others react?"

Keith suddenly thought of what he'd be subjected to once Lance found him at this size. "Uh, can we hold off bringing me into the dining room for now? I kind of want to just sleep."

Shiro nodded. "Of course. I'll let everyone know. Here, I'll take you to my room, you can sleep on my pillow."

Shiro's room was identical to Keith's albeit much cleaner. Shiro didn't seem to have any possessions, and he even made his bed after he got up. He gently lowered he hand onto the pillow, allowing Keith to walk off onto its soft surface. He collapsed on it, burying his face into the plush pillowcase.

"Are...you going to be okay here by yourself?" asked Shiro. Keith raised his arm, giving him tiny thumbs up. Smiling, Shiro stood back up. "Get some rest. I'll come get you in a few hours." He turned the light off and slipped out of the room, while Keith turned over. The pillow had a faint smell to it, heady, yet slightly musky. It smelled like...Shiro. Smiling inwardly, Keith closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, more comfortable than he had been in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

Shiro wanted to give Keith as much time as possible to rest, but after informing the others about what happened to him, he found he couldn't sate their curiosity. They were eager to see Keith for themselves, Lance especially. He reluctantly returned to his room after about an hour of stalling. Slowly, he opened his bedroom door, seeing the tiny Paladin sprawled out on his pillow, fast asleep. He smiled inwardly. Keith looked so peaceful, he hated to disturb him. He walked across the floor as gingerly as he could, but it seemed that, at Keith's size, anything would wake him up. He bolted up at the first step, looking around frantically. He seemed confused at first, maybe believing that the entire ordeal had been a dream. But, looking down at himself, he sighed and got up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm really sorry to wake you up," said Shiro sheepishly. "It's just...the others are concerned about you, and they're curious. They won't rest until they've seen you with their own eyes."

"And it seems I won't rest either," Keith mumbled to himself.

Shiro lowered his hand beside Keith, giving him room to climb on. "We should probably just get this over with," he whispered. "After that, I'll see to it that you're not disturbed."

With another stifled yawn, Keith ambled onto Shiro's hand, laying down flat on his palm. It was soft, like the pillow, but much warmer. He could feel the body heat radiating up through Shiro's skin. It felt...nice. He relaxed into it, and Shiro smiled down at him, gently raising his hand and keeping it steady as he walked out of the room.

"I don't believe it!" said Allura, staring at the tiny figure that lay in Shiro's hand. The Paladins had all crowded around him to get a better look. "He really is shrunken!"

Keith covered his ears. The princess's voice sounded like booming thunder above him. He turned over, looking tired and annoyed. "Look, he's moving!" said Pidge, cramming herself between Hunk and Shiro. Keith wondered if every little thing he did would elicit a reaction from them.

"Guys, keep your voices down," whispered Shiro. "Don't forget, sounds are much louder to him at his size. He can hear us just fine like this."

Allura smiled. "Sorry about that Keith," she said softly. "But, you know, we're just very concerned about this. Shiro told us that Haggar did this to you, is that true?"

Keith stood up, rubbing his head. "Uh, yeah, I couldn't sleep last night, and—"

"I'm sorry," Allura interrupted. "I can barely hear a word you're saying."

Shiro lifted his hand up, and Keith cleared his throat. "I said," he began loudly, "I couldn't sleep last night, and when I was laying in bed, I woke up in a strange place. Haggar had gotten inside my head somehow. She said my mind was weak, and that she was going to transform me. I guess she was successful."

Allura looked worried. "This isn't good. If she's able to mentally link herself with the Paladins, she could do anything to them."

Lance scoffed. "Didn't you hear him though? She said his mind was weak, which means he was just vulnerable to her magic."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Oh, and you think you have the mental fortitude to fight back against her?" he yelled up.

Lance growled at him. "I bet I could whoop her butt in my sleep!" His voice was raised, and Keith had to cover his ears again as he winced at Lance's volume.

"Lance!" Shiro yelled back. "What did I say about keeping quiet—oh…." he looked down at Keith, who was curled up in the fetal position. "Um, s-sorry Keith," he whispered.

Keith groaned, standing back up. "Ugh, anyway, I don't think I'll be of much use like this. I'm not sure what you're all going to do with me."

Hunk leaned in. "Do with you? What are you talking about Keith? You think we're going to throw you away or something?"

Keith shrugged. "Or put me in a pod, or send me back to Earth, or...something! I can't fight and I can't pilot the Red Lion, which means we can't form Voltron, which means we have no way of stopping Zarkon now! I don't know why Haggar didn't just use her magic to kill me! I-I'm useless like this!"

"Don't say that," said Shiro, minding his volume. "You're still a member of Team Voltron. You're just...incapacitated at the moment." He looked up at Allura. "Is there anything we can do to reverse this?"

Allura lowered her head. "I don't...I'm not sure. I've never seen anything like it. I don't understand her power, or how to counteract it."

"So it's hopeless," said Keith, staring down into Shiro's palm.

Shiro tensed, though he kept his palm steady. "There's got to be something we can do. If we can defeat Haggar, or at the very least destroy her magic, it might undo this."

Lance looked unimpressed. "Oh yeah, just fly right into their base again to make our friend grow back. Oh, and do it all without forming Voltron. Sure, that will work."

Keith sighed. "I hate to say it, but Lance is right. She probably did this knowing you'd try to fix it. But if you go in there with four Lions, you'll just be handing them to Zarkon."

"So what do you suggest we do?" said Shiro, showing a rare flash of impatience. "We can't just...leave you like this."

Keith looked up at Shiro. "You have to. Shiro, I'm sorry, I wish there was another way. I can't be a part of the team anymore. I'm...done."

Shiro was silent, staring down at Keith intensely. He refused to believe that this was it for him, that his friend was going to give up so easily. "It-it doesn't matter," he said finally. "So what if you're tiny? You're still a member of the team. You always will be."

Keith raised an eyebrow, a movement so small he was sure Shiro couldn't see. "Okay, but what do you expect me to be able to do at this size? I can't control the Red Lion like this! I'll have to be carried everywhere, or risk getting stepped on. I'm so vulnerable, even loud noises hurt me."

Shiro drew his lips into a thin line. "Then I'll carry you wherever you need to go, and I'll make sure to keep things quiet for you." He looked around the table, and corrected himself. "...We all will."

Keith balled his hands into fists, staring down. Why couldn't Shiro understand? What was wrong with him? He supposed that, even if he shouted, the volume and anger in his voice wouldn't translate well, so he simple stared back up and said, loudly and clearly, "I'm not anyone's responsibility!" With that, he jumped off of Shiro's hand and onto the table.

"Keith, what are you doing?" Allura demanded, almost raising her voice. None of them wanted to grab Keith, out of fear that they might hurt him, but he was clearly running straight for the edge of the table. Shiro placed his hand below it, and Keith stood at the precipice, staring into the massive palm, and the floor far below it. Shaking slightly, he sat down, buried his face in his hands, and cried.

No one said anything. Even Lance felt tremendous pity for him. Hunk tried desperately to hide his own tears, but failed miserably, sobbing into his sleeve. Shiro looked up, turning his attention to the others. "I think it's best if I took him back to the room, let him rest some more. I'll try talking to him, see how he feels." Allura nodded solemnly, and Shiro placed his open palm in front of Keith. Ever so gently, he nudged him with his finger. "Keith...come on, we're done now, you can go back to sleep."

The Red Paladin managed to get up and stumble into Shiro's hand, wiping his eyes. Once he was safely in, Shiro cupped his hand and stood up, carrying him gently back to the room while the others turned and watched, looking very concerned for their friend.

Back in the room, Shiro lowered his palm on the pillow again. Keith stepped off, falling onto the pillow's surface while Shiro took a seat next to him. He leaned in, casting a massive shadow over him, once again reminding Keith of just how diminutive he was. "So, do you feel like talking?" Shiro asked quietly. Keith lay still for a moment, so still that Shiro thought he'd actually fallen asleep already. But after a few moments, he turned over, his face slightly red.

"Shiro...I can't expect you to understand. You're our leader, the head of Voltron. You're undoubtedly the strongest one of all of us. I've always looked up to you."

Shiro smiled. "I'm flattered that you think about me that way. The others seem to look up to me as well."

Keith shook his head. "No, you're not understanding. I've...always looked up to you. Before Voltron, before—…." He trailed off. "...Before Kerberos."

Shiro's smile faded. "That seems like such a long time ago. Keith, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I didn't think you knew me that well. I thought...well, maybe you wouldn't like me as much." He looked down, his face turning red. Why was he saying all this? "I'm sorry, forget it. P-pretend I didn't say anything, okay?"

Shiro looked confused. "But why? I mean, Keith, to be honest, I've always liked you too. I thought you realized that. But ever since we became Paladins, I didn't want to say anything because I didn't think it was...appropriate. You know, given what we have to do know, the fate of the universe on our shoulders—"

"Your shoulders," Keith corrected. "I can't help anymore." He remained silent for a moment before slowly turning his head up, his eyes meeting Shiro's. "You...really like me?"

Shiro smiled. "Always thought you were one of the best. I couldn't show preferential treatment though. Did you really get kicked out of the garrison?"

Keith laughed. "They said I had a problem when it came to respecting authority."

Shiro laughed in unison. "That definitely sounds like you. You were never one to take orders."

Keith's smile faded slightly. "Yeah, well, there's no use being defiant at this size, is there? Not like I can say no to anyone."

"What do you mean you can't say no? No one's going to force you to do anything around here." Shiro leaned in, wondering where this was coming from.

"If I tried to move off this pillow, you'd stop me. I need help going from room to room. I'm in danger if I try to do things myself. Shiro, I'm totally reliant on you, and it makes me feel so...just so helpless."

Shiro paused. He understood how Keith felt. "Listen to me. When I was a prisoner of the Galra, I had few choices. Most of them were to keep my head down and obey, or fight back, and face punishment. I won't lie, I want to protect you and do what's best for you, but if you say no, or if you refuse...if you don't want to do anything, we won't punish you the way the Galra did to me. You still have your freedom Keith."

Keith stared down at his feet. He didn't mean to imply that his situation was similar to Shiro's. "I'm sorry Shiro, I know—I understand that what you went through was a lot worse. You were captured by the Galra. At least I have my friends with me. I just didn't want to be a burden."

Shiro smiled. "It's my job to take care of my team. You're still a member of the team, you always will be. It doesn't matter if you can't pilot the Red Lion." He set his hand next to Keith, carefully turning his finger towards him. He hoped Keith wouldn't flinch away, and thankfully, he didn't. With extreme care, he prodded the tiny Paladin with his fingertip, and Keith laughed, bracing himself against the metal digit. "Now, why don't you lay down and get some rest?"

Keith nodded, laying back against the pillow. He forgot how tired he was. "Thanks Shiro," he called up, "for setting me straight."

Shiro sat up, towering over him. He gave a firm, polite nod, then turned and walked out of the room, leaving Keith to get his rest.

Keith had been dreaming about fighting off a giant cockroach in the ship's kitchen, when the dream dissolved around him, and he found himself plunged into darkness. He was slowly becoming more lucid, aware that he was asleep, and at the same time, confused as to what kind of dream this was. When the world around him resolved, he froze in a panic. The ground was curved, gray, and wet, and the sky above him was filled with purple, swirling clouds. He had returned to the place where Haggar cursed him.

He whirled around, expecting to see her behind him. "Where are you, witch?" he demanded from the darkness. "Show yourself!"

A distant cackle answered him. "It seems your friends are more careful than I realized. No matter…."

Keith tensed. "Come on!" he roared, his heart pumping. He was more furious than scared, ready to take on the witch that cursed him, and hopefully, force her to undo the shrinking. "I know you're here!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shape manifest. He turned and saw Haggar emerge from the darkness, hunched over, but with a wicked smile visible under her hood. He smiled back, eager to face off against her, especially since she seemed to be the same size he was. With a yell, he charged as her, his fist drawn back, but before he could make contact, she disappeared again.

"There's nothing you can do." Keith spun around again to find her standing behind him. "Though this is your domain, I have complete control over it. As long as you give yourself to me, then your mind and body are mine." She raised her hand, spinning it, as if inviting him to come closer.

"I'll never give myself to you!" roared Keith, trying to fight off the urge to charge her again. He knew it was hopeless, but he couldn't stand to look at her.

"But you already have," said Haggar plainly. "Even now, your body obeys my word, and you are powerless to stop it."

Keith tensed. "What do you mean? What are you doing with my body? Answer me!" But Haggar only cackled, and disappeared into the shadow once more.

"So as long as everyone keeps an eye out for him, there's no reason Keith can't be given free reign of the bridge," Allura was saying as she stood at the helm. "If independence really is important to him, then we should give him what he wants."

Hunk, on the other hand, looked quite nervous. "Yeah, but...he's so small! What if we don't see him?"

"He's wearing red, Hunk," said Pidge, fiddling with her scanner. "He should be pretty easy to spot, so long as we keep the floors clean."

Hunk gulped. "Okay, but, picture this: We're cleaning up the floors, but we don't see Keith, and someone sweeps him up with a broom, then dumps him in the garbage, and he gets shot out into space with the rest of the trash!"

Pidge rolled her eyes, unwilling to try and reason with Hunk. She gave a desperate look to Shiro, who sighed, placing a hand on Hunk's shoulder.

"The princess is right. Keith needs us to look out for him and help him get around, but he also needs his space. It's not fun having to be carried around everywhere you go."

Lance scoffed. "Are you kidding me? I'd love to have a giant carry me wherever I wanted, like my own personal chauffeur."

Shiro didn't even have a response to that. He turned his attention back to Princess Allura. "Any word on finding Haggar, and a way to undo this?"

She lowered her head. "I'm afraid that will be quite difficult. She hardly ever leaves Zarkon's side. We're still not sure how she was able to infiltrate Keith's mind."

Hunk looked at her. "Do...do you think there's a chance she could get into our heads too?"

Shiro shook his head. "Keith said that Haggar told him his mind was weak. She must have targeted him specifically, because he was vulnerable." He waited for Lance to make a boasting remark, but to his surprise, Lance was silent. "Anyway, I'm going to go check up on him. I'll be right back." With that, he left the bridge and went back to down towards his room.

He made sure to walk quietly as he approached the door, hoping not to startle Keith. Pressing his hand against the panel, the door slid open, and he walked gingerly inside, turning his head with a warm smile towards the pillow. He froze. "K-keith?" He knelt down by the bed, checking the pillow again. "Keith, buddy?" He knew he should keep his voice down, but as he couldn't find the tiny Paladin, he didn't know what else to do. He pulled the blanket back. Maybe he simply fell off? But there was nothing near the pillow. His heart racing, he checked the floor down by his boots, stepping gingerly and carefully. "Keith, where are you? Keith?!" He stopped whispering now. In a panic, he got down on his hands and knees, looking under the bed, around it, everywhere he could, but there was no sign of him.

Keith was gone.


End file.
